Page 11 of Bad Star

“And when you get bored,” said John, “What happens then?”

“Who says I will get bored?”

“You always get bored,” said John. “That’s the way you are.”

“And who the hell are you to tell me about what person I am.”

“It’s clear,” said John. “You are a thrill-seeker. You chase one high after another. Women, alcohol, drugs, it doesn’t matter. And when you are bored of one thing, you drop it and move on to the next.”

“You don’t know what you are talking about. Can’t you see this is different?”

“I’m sure it always starts off as different,” said John. “But it always ends the same way, with you hurting someone, yet you move on, without a care in the world.”

Jack shook his head. “You’re making a fool of yourself.”

“I don’t know what thrill you find in Rainn. Perhaps it’s because she’s so trusting. Perhaps it’s because she’s blind. There’s something there that’s turning you on. But one day soon, you’ll get bored of her and you’ll drop her like the rest.”

“I won’t,” said Jack.

“You will,” John corrected him. “And it won’t matter much to you, but it will destroy her. She can’t see it. That’s the tragedy.”

“And you’re going to make her see it, are you?” said John.

“If I have to.” John jutted out his chin.

“And who appointed you Rainn’s guardian? Who said you have to decide what’s good for her? As if she were a teenager.”

“I’m her friend,” said John.

Jack looked at him and laughed. “You’re in love with her, aren’t you? That’s what this is all about. You’re in love with her and you’ve never had the balls to tell her. And now you’ve lost her, you’re behaving like a jealous little child.”

Jack threw his head back. “Thank God, you’ve lost her. Rainn deserves a lot better than you.”

Jack sipped his wine while John turned red with rage. “Wonder why you’ve never told her. Just don’t have the balls, I expect. Scared of rejection.”

Jack slapped his hand against the kitchen table. “No, I’ve got it,” he said. “I know what it was. You always banked on her never finding another man. Because she was blind, you thought she would always be there for you, while you were free to go off and play the field. Isn’t that right? You were out having a good time, while all the time you had the one woman you really loved as a backup.”

Jack raised his glass of champagne. “That’s it, isn’t it? Jesus Christ, what a loser. Well, John, you’ve really messed this up, because guess what? I’m not going to hand Rainn back to you. Not ever.”